Ringed with native stone and aquatic plants, the Koi pond offers a different horticultural environment for Carolyn to cultivate.
Outdoor Living
Modern English
A Little Rock master gardener designs an English-style garden to echo the style of her home
BY
Sharon Mosley
PHOTOGRAPHY
Larry Pennington

Skyrocket heritage roses add bright pops of color to the landscape.
The folly, designed to complement the house, is the focal point of the lower yard, and it provides garage and garden supply storage, while also offering a restful view of the gardens and house from its screened porch.
Carolyn and David Newbern's English-inspired garden is the ideal complement to their English Tudor Revival-style home, built in 1926. "I wanted the design to be appropriate to the time period and architectural style of the home," says Carolyn, herself a master gardener who re-created the spirit of both English and Arts and Crafts gardens with perennial borders, rock and woodland gardens, water features and even an architectural folly in the lower yard.

When the Newberns purchased the home, the sloping 100-by-300-foot lot already had rock walls, a few planting areas and a St. Augustine lawn. Taking into consideration the shade and slope, the couple created curved beds for ground covers with shade-loving plants, and built raised beds, flagstone walkways and steps. "When a pine tree threatened to fall on the garage," Carolyn says, "we rerouted the sidewalk to enclose new beds and also buried utilities—the old lemons to lemonade technique."

The asymmetrical form of the house led to similar designs in the landscape. "I try to surprise visitors with unusual garden sculptures, water features and plant choices," Carolyn says, "all with a touch of whimsy." Carolyn prefers using heritage and native plants, plants with four-season interest and plants that are hardy, such as shrubs, perennials and bulbs. She also likes to include items in her garden that are wildlife friendly, providing shelter and food for birds.

This master gardener also enjoys mixing clematis with roses or azaleas, using purple heart in between iris and annuals and planting variegated ivy to grow up tree trunks. "I love to see plants weave around each other," she says. She also plants herbs, including rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender, basil and dill wherever they will grow. And in order to enjoy the bottom third of their long, sloping garden, the Newberns added a building—the folly—which was originally intended to be used as a screened porch but grew to include a garage and storage for garden supplies. Fellow master gardener and horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas' Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson once gave Carolyn advice that she still takes to heart, "Have fun in the garden," she says.

NEWBERN PLANT LIST


Trees
Acer palmatum ‘Crimson Queen               
Cotinus coggygria ‘Purpureus'               
Firmiana simplex                   
Thuja occidentalis ‘Filiformis'               
Vitex agnus-castus                   

Japanese Maple
Smoke Tree
Chinese Umbrella Tree
Weeping Threadleaf Arborvitae
Chaste Tree
Shrubs
Aesculus parviflora
Aesculus parvia   
Amelanchier arborea
Cephalotaxus harringtonii ‘Drupacea'
Clethera ‘Sixteen Candles'
Cotoneaster horizontalis
Hibiscus mutabilis
Hydrangea ‘Annabelle' ‘Big Daddy' ‘Bailmer' ‘Blushing Bride' ‘Lady in Red' ‘Limelight' ‘Beni Gaku' ‘Varigata'
Illicium floridanum
Itea virginica ‘Saturnalia'
Kerria japonica ‘Picta'
Myrica cerifera   
Nandina domestica ‘Harbour Dwarf'
Photinia serrulata
Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo'
Pieris japonica ‘Valley Rose'   
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Symphoricarpos albus
Viburnum nudum ‘Count Pulaski'
Viburnum davidii
Bottlebrush Buckeye
Red Buckeye
Serviceberry
Japanese Plum Yew
Summersweet
Rock Cotoneaster
Confederate Rose
Florida Anise
Virginia Sweetspire
Variegated Kerria
Southern Wax Myrtle
Chinese Photinia
Ninebark
Japanese Andromeda
Coralberry
Snowberry
Arrowwood Viburnum
Evergreen Viburnum
Perennials and Bulbs
Alstroemeria ‘Freedom'
Alstroemeria variagata
Amsonia hubrictii
Asarum splendens
Baptisia
Bletilla striata ‘Albostriata'
Calopogon tuberosus
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Chrysanthemum pacificum
Clematis integrifolia ‘Donahue' ‘Pangborne Pink'
Gladiolus byzantinus
Helleborus orientalis ‘Blue Lady' and others
Lysimachia altropurpurea ‘Beaujolais'
Oenothera fruticosa
Polygonatum odoratum
Ruellia brittoniana
Salvia gregii ‘Purple Pastel'; S. azul tallos misticos ‘Mystic Spires'; ‘Blue & Black'
Setcreasea pallida
Spigelia marilandica
Tetrapanax papyriferus
Zephyranthes ‘Big Dude' and others
Arkansas Blue Star
Asian Ginger
False Indigo
Hardy Orchid
Grass Pink
Dwarf Plumbago
Gold & Silver Chrysanthemum
Hardy Gladiolus
Loosestrife
Ozark Sundrops
Variegated Solomon's Seal
Mexican Petunia
Purple Heart
Indian Pink
Rice Paper Plant
Pink Rain Lily
Bog Plants
Bletilla striate
Equisetum hyemale
Sarracenia (many varieties)
Bog Orchid
Horsetail Rush
Pitcher Plant
Ferns and Mosses
Southern and Northern Maidenhair; Lady in Red; Lady; tatting' Japanese Painted' Holly' Wood; Cinnamon; royal; Christmas; Arborvitae; Southern Shield; Rabbitsfoot; Birds Nest; Deer;             
Selaginella kraussiana
Krauss' Green; Spikemoss
Roses
Archduke Charles; Caldwell Pink; Cecile Brunner; Clotilde Soupert; Duchesse de Brabant; Grüss an Aachen
La Marque;  Margot Koster; Mutabilis; Skyrocket; The Fairy